Chinese, Pakistani Air Forces To Conduct Exercises Over Xinjiang

Group photo from the last Chinese-Pakistani joint air force exercise in 2011. (photo: Pakistan air force)

China and Pakistan are going to hold joint air force exercises in the province of Xinjiang, the home of China's restive Uyghur population that also borders Pakistan. The exercise will take place against the backdrop of improved relations between Beijing and Islamabad, which have been frayed over China's complaints that Pakistan doesn't do enough to combat Uyghur separatism on its territory.

The Chinese defense ministry said the exercise, called Shaheen-2 would take place Sept 2-22. It is the follow-on drill to Shaheen-1, held in Pakistan in 2011.